Understanding your thyroid and how it works is important to your health. The small, butterfly-shaped gland at the base of the throat is a powerful hormonal engine, and when it isn’t functioning optimally, the consequences can be disabling – even fatal.

Acute pain can save a life by alerting us to injury and help us recover by forcing us to protect the injured area. But chronic pain – the kind that continues after injuries have healed or is caused by other nervous system disorders – can lead to a life that many of those who suffer say doesn’t feel like it’s worth living at all.